How do I get better green screen results?

The key to great results with Chroma-key backgrounds (pun intended) is good, consistent lighting. The examples below illustrate different lighting and exposures and the results. All of theses were done with the default settings in Booth.

In the example below we see good lighting and exposure for green screen. The green is the proper color for Chroma-key and it is even throughout the frame. The result is a good dropout with rich color and no green halo around her hair.

In the next example, there is considerable light fall off in the corners so that the green drops to near black. The result is a lower contrast in the color along with poor dropout in the black areas of the uniform.

In the final example, the entire image is dark and muddy with little separation between the hair and the background. Also, the green in the frame is almost entirely black. Basically the software cannot tell what is green and what should be dropped out. The result is a completely unacceptable dropout.

Below is an illustration of a basic lighting setup for good green screen results. There is a main light above the camera to light the subject which is a few feet from the background with additional lights to evenly light the background. This allows you to adjust the brightness of the subject in relation to the background and also reduce or eliminate shadows on the background. This is by no means the only way to light for green screen and may not be possible with your booth design.

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